Process of recovering volatile solvents



U. J. LEBOURVEAU AND A. M. TAYLOR.

PROCESS OF RECOVERING VOLATILE SOLVENTS. APPLICATION FILED MAR 5 1920.

ifiACT/ON 0r THE/1C5 TONE OIL or com/name- WH/Cl/ ZIJSTILLS BE 7WEE/V 150%: 250 C.

Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

rowan/am 600/5 N T V/IPOR? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ULRIo J. LEBOURVEAU AND ARNOLD M.

TAYLOR, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT,

ASSIGNORS TO ATLAS POWDER COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PROCESS OF RECOVERING VOLATILE SOLVENTS.

Application filed March 5,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ULRIQ J. LEBOUR- VEAU and ARNOLD M. TAYLOR, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Recovering Volatile Solvents, of which the benzol and toluol; those alcohols and the the same liquid;

as petroleum oils.

acetic esters of alcohols that have a boilingpoint lower than that of water at atmospheric pressure, and those ketones which are miscible or partly miscible with water, the invention being understood to be applicable in the recovery ofany of these solvents alone or any mixtures orcombination of said solvents. Heretofore processes have been known that recover water-soluble solvents in water and water insoluble solvents in such liquids Our process is an improvement on these classes of recovery systems in that both water soluble and water insoluble solvents are recovered in one and- Our process is based on the discovery that vapors of the above named solvents, from whatever source obtained, when mixed with. air or other similar gases, are absorbed by those fractions of the acetone oil of commerce which distil at temperatures between 150 and 250 centi'grade. In carrying out the invention the air-vapor mixture containing the solvents to be recovered are passed through a suitable absorption tower through which the acetone oil is passed countercurrently, preferably in the form of a spray, whereby the solvent vapors areabsorbed and retained by the acetone oil. The gases, after being exhausted of their solvent vapors, can be discharged into the air or returned from the tower to the place from which they were originally obtained, there to take up further amounts of solvent vapors.

The absorbing liquid, z. 6., the fraction of acetone oildistilling between 150 and 250 Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct, 12, 1920.

1520. Serial No. aes,511.'

centigrade, after being saturated to a reasonable amount with the solvent vapors,

may be freed of the absorbed solvents bydistillation in a suitable still of common construction, thesolvent vapors being condensed in a suitable condenser and collected as a liquid. The absorbing liquid, after being cooled, is again ready to take up additional solvent in the absorption tower.

For purposes of explanation we have diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawing one form of apparatus that may be used in carrying out the invention.

In this drawing the numeral 5 designates a pipe serving to conduct the solvent vapors to an absorption tower 6. The solvent vapors may be derived from any'source dependent upon the art in whi'ch the apparatus and process is used. It .is common to recover solvent va ors released in the manufacture of exploslves; in the manufacture of varnishes and lacquers and those vapors released from varnished and lac'queredobjects such as furniture and the like. It is therefore to be understood that the source of the solvent vapors delivered through pipe 5 may vary without departure from the invention. The solventvapors pass through the absorption tower in one direction, as indicated by the arrows a and a spray consisting of that fraction of the acetone oil of commerce which distils between 150 and 250 centigrade is delivered through a spray-head 7 and" pipe 8 counter-currently to the direction of movement of the solvent vapors, said solvent vapors being absorbed and retained-by the acetone oil. I

The gases, after being exhausted of the solvent vapors, can be discharged directly into the air if desired although preferably.

we return them through a duct 9 to the place from which they were originally obtained, there to take up furtheramounts of the solvent vapors; The absorbing liquid and the solvents carried thereby may be conducted from the tower- 6 through a pipe 10 to a suitable still 11 where the absorbing liquid is freed of the absorbed solvents by distillation. The absorbing liquid which passes from the still through pipe 12. after being cooled, may be again used to take up additional solvents in,the absorption tower. The solvents freed from the absorbing liquid by distillation in the still 11, may be condensedin a suitable condenser and delivered from pipe 14 asa liquid y I I It is to be understood that h above seriesof operations may be carried out either as a continuous or noncontinuous operation and that while the particular type of apparatus tion, what we claim and desire to protect by Letters-Patent is 1. The herein described process of recovering solvents from a mixture of solvent vapors and air which comprises absorbing the solvent vapors in the said a r vapor mlx- 'ture in acetone oil, separating the solvents from the acetone oil by distillation, and then recovering the solvents by condensation.

2. The herein described process of recovering solvents from a mixture of solvent vapors and'air which comprises absorbing the solvent vapors in the said air vapor mixf ture in those fractions of acetone -oil ofcommerce which distilat temperatures between 150 and 250. degrees 0., separating the solvents from the acetone oil, and recovering them.

In testimony whereof weaflix our signatures in the presence of twowitnesses.

ULRIO- J. LEBOURVEAU. ARNOLD M. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

-Gr. C. GIVEN,

A. V. SAoRIsom; 

